Solvothermally-derived nanoglass as a highly bioactive material.

A highly bioactive glass solvBG76 in a binary system 76SiO2-24CaO (wt%) was prepared following a solvothermal path of the synthesis. The facile synthesis, in terms of the steps and reagents needed, enabled the achievement of a mesoporous material. Many factors such as nano-size (<50 nm), different morphology (non-spherical), use of an unconventional network modifier (calcium hydroxide) during the synthesis, a structure free of crystalline impurities, and textural properties greatly enhanced the kinetic deposition process of hydroxyapatite (HA) when contacting with physiological fluids. The formation of a HA layer on the glass was analyzed by various techniques, namely XRD, IR-ATR, Raman, XPS, EDS analyses, SEM, and HR-TEM imaging. The results obtained were compared to the 45S5 glass tested as a reference biomaterial as well as 70S30C-a glass with similar size and composition to reported solvBG76 but obtained by the conventional sol-gel method. For the first time, superior apatite-mineralization ability in less than 1 h in a physiological-like buffer was achieved. This unique bioactivity is accompanied by biocompatibility and hemocompatibility, which was indicated by a set of various assays in human dermal fibroblasts and MC3T3 mouse osteoblast precursor cells, as well as hemolytic activity determination.

Upconversion Luminescence of Silica-Calcia Nanoparticles Co-doped with Tm3+ and Yb3+ Ions.

Looking for upconverting biocompatible nanoparticles, we have prepared by the sol-gel method, silica-calcia glass nanopowders doped with different concentration of Tm3+ and Yb3+ ions (Tm3+ from 0.15 mol% up to 0.5 mol% and Yb3+ from 1 mol% up to 4 mol%) and characterized their structure, morphology, and optical properties. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated an amorphous phase of the silica-based glass with partial crystallization of samples with a higher content of lanthanides ions. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that the average size of particles decreased with increasing lanthanides content. The upconversion (UC) emission spectra and fluorescence lifetimes were registered under near infrared excitation (980 nm) at room temperature to study the energy transfer between Yb3+ and Tm3+ at various active ions concentrations. Characteristic emission bands of Tm3+ ions in the range of 350 nm to 850 nm were observed. To understand the mechanism of Yb3+-Tm3+ UC energy transfer in the SiO2-CaO powders, the kinetics of luminescence decays were studied.

Application of quartz tuning forks for detection of endotoxins and Gram-negative bacterial cells by monitoring of Limulus Amebocyte Lysate coagulation.

Endotoxins, pyrogens of bacterial origin, are a significant threat in many areas of life. Currently, the test most commonly used for endotoxin level determination is LAL (Limulus Amebocyte Lysate) assay. This paper presents application of commercially available low-frequency piezoelectric tuning forks (QTFs) for endotoxin detection. Measurement of the decrease in the QTF oscillation amplitude provides information about the viscosity changes, occurring in the tested sample upon addition of LAL. That method was used to determine the concentrations of endotoxins and bacterial cells (E. coli O157:H19). The relevance of the obtained results was confirmed using a commercially available colorimetric LAL assay. The constructed system can detect bacterial endotoxins in the range of 0.001-5EU/ml and bacterial cells in the range of 10(2)-10(7)CFU/ml. The presented technique requires very simple sample preparation and the sensor response is obtained using compact, portable readout electronics. The single test cost is low compared to commercial endotoxin assays and other novel systems based on micromechanical sensors.